A homicide led to a busy police scene at Mt. Vernon Street on Friday morning, but officers say that the buildup between the teenagers involved began weeks ago.
"We have found information that leads us to believe that this homicide, this incident, is part of a retaliation from a prior drug incident between these individuals," Oshkosh police officer Kate Mann said.
According to a criminal complaint, Charles Martin and a friend went to Noah Williams' house about two weeks ago. The friend says that Williams accused Martin of stealing drugs. Martin's friend told officers that the next day, "Charles stated, 'I'm going to catch a body and stab them!'" Catch a body means kill.
"The potential penalties that the defendant faces are as severe as it gets," Deputy District Attorney Scott Ceman said in court.
Prosecutors are now charging Martin with first degree intentional homicide and attempted homicide.
The criminal complaint says that Martin went to Williams' house and stabbed him and his roommate, Trei Appleby, several times, including in the head, neck and torso. Appleby went to the hospital. Williams died at the scene.
"Every homicide is violent of course, but the number of times and the brutality of the attacks on these two victims certainly stands out," Ceman said.
Prosecutors said after the attack, Martin may have planned to flee. In the criminal complaint, Martin's friend tells officers that "Charles messaged him at 2:30 stating he was 'going on the run.'"
Prosecutors used the message in bail arguments. A judge set Martin's bail at $1 million and scheduled a preliminary hearing for later this month. If convicted, Martin could face life in prison.
